A Serendipitous Key of Hope
by Kingdom Lightz
Summary: Thinking of you wherever you are, I will never stop to see. This sky of blue, no matter how far, together we will be. A new journey shall start; the seven lights as one shall we. Fade away or impart, the thirteen nights; a forlorn destiny. Naruto x Kingdom Hearts AU.
1. Dive to the Heart

_**A Serendipitous Key of Hope**_

Disclaimer: Let's not repeat what's obvious... Fine! Kingdom Lightz does not own Naruto or Kingdom Hearts. He does own a plethoral of Naruto fanfictions that are connected together.

Yusei: TCM's stories are connected in a multiverse?

Tenji: No, just those that are from the Naruto universe. Especially Ever Ask Why the Devil May Cry.

Manabu: This story won't take off for quite a while so just focus on the others.

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><p><strong>The First Key - Dive Into The Heart<strong>

Silence reverberates through a torn and desolate battlefield, the skies polluted by light and darkness fighting for dominance of presence. Among the humans on the field, most of whom are laying in the dirt, two warriors clash with one another. The one on the left underneath the fumes of darkness has black hair wearing a dark purple haori over samurai clothing.

The other facing him is a blond spiky haired male the same age as him. He has a black t-shirt underneath torn away armor with orange pants matching the remains of an unzipped tracksuit with matching orange and blue sneakers with zippers around it. Around his right arm he wears a metal piece secured tightly on the shoulder and around his neck is a crown like necklace.

Gritting his teeth, he slaps the metal piece. Light glitters around him, before dispersing to reveal him wearing orange and blue armor. Over his face a shogun helmet with a yellow anchor visor, over his head a jagged, golden crescent moon designed similar to a sword. A strange attachment appears on the right of his waist shaped like a curved barrel. From his back two flags rise up, with a blue heart in a gold outline painted under a blue spiral on orange material. The same symbol appears on his chest.

His opponent holds his left hand out, summoning from a trail of light a key shaped sword. Removing the keychain, he attaches a new one changing its form. His is now golden with three spikes on the curving teeth with a guard split half open on both ends. The keychain is a cross shaped symbol with a heart shaped gap in its center, the top half gold while the bottom gray.

The armored warrior summons his own key sword before swapping the keychain too. His weapon is now a longsword wrapped in an ornate gold filigree in a fish bone like pattern. The teeth of the key are a golden crown on top of a golden heart. The guard of the weapon is a rainbow color changing heart. The keychain is gilded heart.

The armored warrior moves in first. Despite the bulky armor he manages to move at a pace the enemy couldn't believe at first. The dark warrior blocks his sword strike, and kicks him back. He then summons a giant ball of dark flames, firing it at him. The armored warrior draws a flag and blocks with it, before his visors show him a dark blue and purple tengu like being of chakra wielding a blazing sword in the left hand. The dark warrior stands in a gem on top of the forehead with the key sword, his right a copy wheel and the left a gray ripple.

The armored warrior gets slashed by the chakra sword, splitting off pieces of his armor. He scuffs, before glowing inside. The sun chakra explodes from within, removing his armor in place of his tracksuit colored glowing gold with a black full bodysuit with a gold circle around his stomach. On the back of his suit the ripple pattern from his opponent's eye above nine magatamas in a cube formation forms. His hair rises up spikier while his whisker marks turn thicker and blacker, his eyes turning into yellow with slits through a rectangle. Seven black orbs float behind him. His necklace chains transform into magatamas and the crown shines.

He flies away from the sword swing, summoning his aura in the form of an energy fox with nine tails wielding the same black markings. He blocks a swing and throws his elbow, an attack blocked by the ethereal tengu. They step back.

The tengu warrior summons black lightning around the left hand and moves in to strike. The fox warrior summons a sphere of chakra and flies forward to counter. The two attacks collide with one another, a struggle that causes the darkness and light above to push harder.

The attacks explode, collapsing the world in a veil of gray chaos.

The orange warrior gasps as he is blown away, falling into a deep ocean; several men stand over him dressed in black overcoats that completely cover their appearance. He loses his powers into the dark, leaving him in his tracksuit battle worn nevermore. He tries to speak, only for nothing to escape his lips.

He looks around as the darkness illuminates away, a bright blue light from below slowly approaching. From above he could see it's coming from a cylindrical platform. On top of it appears his whole body laying on something, wielding the sword from before.

He lands on top of the platform, a melodious tune playing throughout the dark recesses of the area.

_So much to do. So little time. Take your time, don't worry. _

He looks around when the words appear in his mind.

_The door is still closed. Now, step forward. Can you do it?_

He walks forward, stepping into the centrifuge of the light. While it's true that at first this situation seems amazing and real, he comes to the true realization that all of this is a dream. Such a surreal and impossible situation befalling him shouldn't be happening. Going along with it is easily the best option.

Standing in the middle of the platform, a light from above shines down. To his eight o'clock a silver crown like podium rises up from the ground; a red and black shield appears from a white light, a red circle with two circle like ears on top as its design. Despite it, there are no markings of the floor breaking in anyway.

_Power sleeps within you. _

A second podium appears to his four o'clock. This one displays a green rod with a blue circle just like the one on the shield.

_If you give it form..._

A third podium appears directly in front of him. This time a sword with a yellow curved guard and blue felted hilt appears, the same design in the center of its guard.

_It will give you strength. Choose well._

Choose? He has to choose between one of these three weapons? Well, the shield isn't really a weapon but still. He steps forward to the sword, and new words enter his mind.

_The power of the warrior. Invincible courage, this is a sword of terrible destruction._

He looks to the staff.

_The power of the mystic. Inner strength, this is a staff of wonder and ruin. _

Knowing what comes next, he looks at the shield.

_The power of the guardian. Kindness to aid friends, this is a shield to repel all._

Taking this in, he comes to see this as a choose your own adventure thing. That works; it's his dream after all. Even though right now he isn't as strong as what these weapons are implying him to be, he would choose the right thing for him. Reaching out, he approaches the rod. Even if the possibility of ruin awaits him, he could easily guide that power to protect all around him like a shield, or destroy anyone who threatens him like a sword. He takes up the rod and twirls it, which disappears in a twinkle of light that enters his hand.

_Your path has been set. Now, what will you give up in exchange?_

He leaves the podium and approaches the shield. Though he plans on giving it up, he takes a moment to think about it. Even though the people around him aren't many, he will definitely need something for protection. So with that in mind, he leaves the shield to its podium before going to the sword. Taking it up, he relinquishes the blade. It turns into light soaring upward in the sky.

_You have chosen the power of the mystic. You have given up the power of the warrior. If this is what you choose, accept it._

He nods, accepting his choice. The podiums enter the ground, with the shield entering his body. The podium then shatters, its glass fragments dispersing into nothing. The boy falls downward into the sea of darkness.

Though afraid, he continues to fall until coming to another light. This light appears as another platform, which resembles the one above. This one however shows an orange fox with red eyes and nine tails all over the picture. He lands, standing before a pink and magenta double door way.

_Step through and set your journey._

He walks to the door and opens it, a blinding light released that consumes him. This is a pretty interesting dream for him.

As the light dies away, he finds himself in his home village on top of the Hokage Monument. There, three people stand there. He can't see their faces because they're darkened, but through their figures he could see they're two guys and a woman.

_The door won't open just yet. There are things that must be questioned. Tell me more about yourself._

He walks to the shorter male first. Unlike the words in his mind, this person talks in a modern voice. "What are you so afraid of: getting old, being different or being indecisive?"

That's a no brainer, he understands. But regardless of what he wants he still can't talk. So, he raises three fingers.

"Being indecisive? Is that so bad?" His response transforms the blackened figure into a male with bright eyes and a yellow aura.

Of course to him, it's obvious. He will be more absolute with his decisions, and have no regrets. He will never back down on his words. Done, he goes to the next person, the female looking silhouette.

"What's most important to you: being number one, friendship, or your prized possessions?" she asks him.

He doesn't care about material possessions so the first two are better off. But, despite wanting to be seen as the greatest the one thing he really wanted was to be seen. To be acknowledged. To be with friends. So he goes with that decision, holding up two fingers.

"Is friendship really such a big deal?" She transforms too, turning into a red haired woman with strong, blue eyes.

Looking at her, his heart twinges. It feels as if it knows her. Putting that aside, he goes to the last person. He asks, "What do you want out of life? Do you wish to see rare sights, to broaden your horizons, or to be strong?"

That's a no brainer too. He holds up three this time.

"To be strong huh?" The man transforms, revealing his appearance as a dark haired adult he recognizes as an important figure to his home.

All three disappear. The boy then sees the sun setting quickly.

_You're afraid of being indecisive. You want to be strong. Friendship is important to you. Your adventure begins in the dead of night. Your road won't be easy, but a rising sun awaits your journey's end should you persevere._

Thinking it over, it fits perfectly for him.

_The day you will open the door is far off, and yet very near. _

A bright light takes away his sight, until he appears back in the darkness. The platform illuminates the dark, showing him light. This picture has him again, which shows him with the fox. This time, he's glowing with the same form he had before in the earlier dream. The light from above guides off the platform, which creates a bridge of stain glass to a nearby platform.

Running along the bridge he reaches new ground. This new platform shows a picture of him and eight other beasts with the fox. His form is surrounded by the other nine creatures, each one with distinguishing numbers of tails from one to nine.

_The closer you get to light, the greater your shadow becomes. _

He looks back at his shadow, which has grown several times larger than him. It rises up from the ground.

_But don't be afraid._

The boy backs away as the being takes on the appearance of a muscular black humanoid monster with long, tentacle hair and glowing, yellow eyes. A hole where its chest is is open in the shape of a heart.

_And don't forge..._

He flinches when the voice fades out. All he got from that is that he should not forge. But don't forge what is the question now.

_And don't forget..._

He calms down hearing the rest of the word, before wondering what exactly that means as well. These are his thoughts before he gets hit by the shadow's hand.

_There are times where you'll have to fight. Keep your light burning._

Fighting. Lately that's all he's been doing; ever since he decided to become a shinobi, he's been forced to fight battles; some of which he didn't mind, and others he wishes he couldn't hurt. But, that's his life for now. Fighting a giant monster is no big deal.

He crosses his fingers into a hand seal, before flinching realizing nothing is happening. He can't summon his chakra, which means he can't destroy it. But to his surprise, the rod appears in his hand. Thinking it a little weird he has to use this, he goes along with in and smacks away the monster's hand. Dark fumes bleed from where he hit, leading him to realize he can do it after all.

He swings, flames erupting from the blue ball within a short period of time. The fire consumes the dark monster, who releases darkness to expel them. He swings again, this time unleashing a powerful wind that blows away the monster's darkness. It then glows, changing its shape to become a key sword like before.

Designed like a skeleton key, the sword has a silver 'blade' connected to a blue rainguard with a golden square guard around a deep green handle. Attached to the end is a silver keychain with the same three circle symbol. The teeth of the blade is a crown.

Grinning, the orange guy runs towards the dark monster. With a mighty swing he cuts at its chest, forcing it back a few steps. He swings the sword, adjusting himself to the weight.

The monster punches the ground, summoning a pool of darkness that calls out smaller, chubby monsters that look like it. Looking at them, the boy feels they could be shadows turned evil. Two come at him in leaps. The orange guy slashes through them, dispersing the monsters into dark smoke, before ducking from the shadows that came at him from behind. He then turns to the big guy, slashing off a part of its hair before punching it in the face.

Whatever this experience is doing, it's made him stronger than usual. Such a blow wouldn't be possible without him being able to gather chakra. He concentrates, flames igniting around the teeth of his sword, and with a dash he slashes through the monster. It explodes into flames, falling to its knees. The boy turns around to face the monster, who twists its body to swing at him. The sword disappears, and the monster slams its other hand down. Darkness gathers around him, slowly consuming him in an endless black void.

Its heartless eyes continue to stare into the boy's as he falls into darkness. As it does, the rest of the message comes to his heart.

_But don't be afraid. You hold the mightiest weapon of all._

His heart continues to remain strong as he stares up at the demon. His blue eyes keep their shine even as the darkness takes him.

_Don't forget. You are the key, who will open the door to light._

The boy shoots up suddenly. The light of day burns into his eyes as he adjusts. The remnants of the dream continue to plague his mind even as he tries to stay awake. He holds his hand up, remembering the feel of using that sword. He could feel a sweet light in his heart that made him happy.

He rolls out of bed, and immediately steps on top of a bowl of noodles. He sighs realizing he was the one who left it there. Shrugging, he goes to his closet and throws on his outfit; unfortunately it's the same tracksuit he always wears. He adds a headband with a leaf symbol on his forehead, before going to the door.

Right as he is about to open it, the door opens revealing an old man with white, long spiky hair. "Oh, you're up."

"I'm ready to go, pervy sage," he says to the old man. Despite the dream, he's much more focused on going on this training trip.

"How many times do I have to tell you? It's the Toad Sage Jiraiya!" Jiraiya throws his hands back and forward, striking a pose. "You calling me that is only going to ruin my rep!"

"It's not my fault you're a hopeless pervert who writes disgusting books." He knows from experience that Jiraiya would never change to prove him wrong, and accepts him enough to make fun of the aged hermit.

"Shut up boy."

"Not to mention a large amount of the strongest people here are perverted on the inside." He steps past Jiraiya and locks the door, before sliding down the railing off the apartment. "You coming or not?"

"Little brat." He laughs hearing the old man.

He hasn't felt this at peace in a while, especially not after a few days ago. In three years, he's definitely going to become stronger. So strong he can defeat even his best friend, and bring him back alive. Maybe then he will discover what that dream means, and take full control of the power of that beast inside of him. Though the more he thinks about it, the more he worries about the dream. After all, that one dream feels more real to him than any of the many he's had. Even more, he can remember everything about it, which isn't normal for a dream.

Regardless, he will become stronger. As he does, hopefully the secret to the dream will grace him. Who was providing words in his mind? What were those black things that tried to kill him? Why was he questioned by the Shodai Hokage? And how come he felt strongly for a woman he has never seen before his entire life?

As he leaves the village, he fails to take into account a girl with short, indigo hair watching him with her white eyes. "Good luck. I'm going to do my best too, Naruto-kun."

…

"Isn't this a treat? All of us meeting like this."

"I'm much more interested in that Orochimaru. Apparently he found himself a new toy."

"Oh yeah, that's right; Itachi, your brother's been taken by that little traitor snake. How does it feel?"

"..."

"Saw that response coming."

"You're boring me now. Lets get this meeting over with. Wait, why are we here again?"

"We have a bit of a problem; it would seem one of the Jinchuurikis is much more special than originally anticipated."

"How special?"

"He has taken hold of a special type of power, one we have been searching for quite a while after observing his notes."

"You mean the Keyblade?"

A drop of water falls. Its tiny tinkle reverberates through the halls of a dark and moist cave. A light flashes through for a brief moment, revealing several people dressed in cloaks with red cloud spots. In total they equal nine. Among them are two others wearing black coats and gloves that cover their entire appearance.

"And just who are you two?" The two in coats pull over their hoods, taking the others by surprise with their appearance.

"That's right. Now that you know who we are, this can go more smoothly."

To Be Continued...

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><p>Yusei: That ends this chapter. Next time...we'll pick up on Naruto during his training later. It won't just be shinobi he'll be training for.<p>

Manabu: Yusei, wrap it up.

Yusei: Right. Anyway, just wait.


	2. The Unknown Man

_**A Serendipitous Key of Hope**_

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts, and Naruto, do not belong to one man. They are owned by several different people. Kingdom Lightz is not one of them.

Yusei: Merry Christmas!

Takeshi: Because Lightz had this done ahead of time, we're here to bring you the second chapter to Key of Hope. In this chapter our mysterious enemy makes an attempt on Naruto.

Luna: Lucas, do you want to build a snowman?

Lucas: Snowman? It's the summer!

_**The Second Key: The Unknown Man**_

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><p>"Here you go pervy sage," Naruto says as he walks up to Jiraiya holding two bags with bento boxes. "Enjoy."<p>

"What are you complaining about?" asks the old man as he stares at him. He takes out his own bento box to eat. "You're learning to train from a professional sage who is equaled only by two others. Buying lunch for him now and then is no big deal."

"I wouldn't mind that, if you didn't constantly use my money for your vices! How are you teaching me about the three taboos for a shinobi if you're doing them all in one hour?!"

"Only to the naïve mind of a child does it look like that, but in reality-"

"Yeah, yeah." Naruto turns away, sitting down while eating his bento meal.

Two weeks have passed since Naruto and Jiraiya have left Konoha. In that short time frame they have traveled across from the Land of Fire to Earth and Lightning. The blond shinobi has since never had the dream yet, but constantly remembers it. He also has been training in expanding his Rasengan and tactics in several ways, conducting forms like the Oodama Rasengan and Rasenrengan, though the latter is harder to come by. They're currently in the Land of Lightning in a valley just bordering from Kumogakure, looking out below at a couple of birds flying across a blue, partially cloudy sky.

As the time goes by, Naruto continues to worry about the dream. He felt a little strange about it, so he tells Jiraiya about it. Unfortunately, all he could tell him is that it was a bunch of nonsense. Him dreaming about the Shodaime Hokage is strange in and of itself, especially considering how poorly he did in school studying him. Though he notices something about how the pervy sage reacted to the woman he saw; it's as if he knows more about that woman than he wants Naruto to know. Curiouser and curiouser, he continues to wonder about the dream and its importance.

Right as he is about to take another bite from his bento, Jiraiya stands up suddenly causing Naruto to pause. "What's wrong?"

"Get up. We have company."

"Company?" Naruto tosses his box to the side of the cliff they're sitting on, before being gripped and pulled away. They both look up at the explosion that destroys the cliff, a strange light of white, blue and black. "What the hell was that?!"

Jiraiya lands on top of the sea below the cliff. Staring up, the two shinobi glance upon a man dressed in a black coat whose appearance was completely hooded. His hands spark with the same colors as the explosion lights.

Naruto gasps when he sees him, his heart giving a heavy pounding. The very man is standing before him, just like the many that was in his dream. "You! What are you doing here?"

His statement surprises the man, who stares down at him. "How curious. You seem as if you recognize me, and yet this is our very first appearance."

"Naruto, stay back." Jiraiya forms a handseal.

"Wait, let me fight with you!" he declares, taking out a kunai.

"No! You run!" Jiraiya utilizes the Hari Jizou no Jutsu, firing his hair needles out to turn the man into a pin cushion.

The cloaked man descends, each and every spike passing through him as if he were a ghost. "This man is nothing like any of the enemies you've faced so far. Orochimaru, Gaara, Akatsuki; none of them are on the level of this monster."

"A monster? How cruel." The man holds out a hand, releasing several beams of light.

Jiraiya's hair raises, continuously blocking the lights. He then produces more seals. "Gamayudan!" Oil spews from his mouth countering the lights, before splashing onto the cloaked man. He then forms a new seal, breathing flames that ignite brightly onto the cloaked man.

"Wow..." Naruto mutters seeing the old man at work.

The explosion of flames fade into nothing to their shock. The cloaked man walks through, a soft chuckle emitting through his coat. "Is this the best in your old age Jiraiya? How disappointing."

'Boy, you have to run!' Naruto looks around after hearing the voice.

'Who said that?' Naruto is soon brought from reality into the deepest recesses of his mind, which to his discouragement is still a murky sewer with the fox's cage. The demon glares at him from behind bars, revealing his full appearance to him. Annoyed, Naruto shouts, "What is it now?! I'm a little busy!"

"You have to get out of here brat!" he shouts, looking up from where he stands. "That man is not someone you can handle on your own. Not even that old fart sage can defeat him!"

"And what is you talking to me going to do about it?! If you don't send chakra you might as well just sit there and mope about being filled with hate!" Naruto doesn't have time to waste on this fox talking to him. If he's really the threat he's being brought up to be, there's no point in wasting time.

"You don't get it; he's after us!"

"What?" Naruto is brought back to reality when Jiraiya hits the ground hard enough. The cloaked man floats over to him.

"I'd rather live inside your stomach than be used by that bastard! So take this chakra and shove it down his throat!" Naruto twitches feeling the chakra inside of him spike, the red chakra forming in the shape of a demon fox.

'Alright, I'll go with it for now.' "Rasengan!" Naruto forms the Rasengan the same way he did against Sasuke not long ago, and rushes in to strike the man. He passes through him and misses, and the cloaked man holds a hand out to fire those spheres. But Naruto, having seen his abilities so far, turns around and pushes himself to him using a chakra arm. He then collides the Rasengan into his stomach, causing a massive explosion that blows him away.

Jiraiya stands back up beside Naruto. "Great. You're getting a bit better at using that power. But I told you to run!"

"I'm not backing down! I don't care who he is!" The blond ninja drops on all fours.

"Impressive... But, you're not anywhere near strong enough to defeat me." The man stands back up, not a single scratch on his coat. "Not even 10 percent."

'Damn. He's even stronger than you mentioned!' Naruto begins to tense up. This man who he just met is impossibly powerful. Despite him using the same attack that could hold up against Sasuke's Curse Seal enhanced Chidori failing to leave even a slight wound on this guy, this is devastating. Yet at the same time, he feels enthused that there are men this strong out there.

"Kneel." The cloaked man holds a hand out to him, gray lightning sparking out to ensnare Naruto. The chakra around him fades back inside, his blue eyes turning a dark gray. His mind slowly drops, going completely blank.

"Naruto!" Jiraiya shouts as he runs to him. Two copies fly off out from the man's body, who battle against Jiraiya. He dispatches them quickly with two Rasengan to their gut.

The original releases the power at work, having Naruto fall to the ground in a lifeless state. He grabs him and walks off, fading away along with the clones and the kidnapped.

Jiraiya drops to his knees, his hands digging into the soft stone. "I can't believe it..." His eyes come to know a familiar despair.

…

The man drops Naruto to the ground. His eyes stare down at his body, twitching from the damage of that move. "You are probably wondering in the depths of your heart what I'm about to do to you. Why I went through the trouble of capturing you. Why I am interested in you... it is beyond your comprehension for now, but know this."

He raises his hand, lifting Naruto in the air. "Hearts are power, and yours is one we demand in order to achieve our ambitions." He then uses the same move as before, forming energy around Naruto. Red chakra expels from his body.

Inside of his mind, the fox appears within Naruto's mind. "Well, it looks like we failed."

"Fox, who was that guy?! What's he doing?!" he asks him.

"He's extracting me from your body. Soon I will be gone, and your troubles will all be over. Because you'll be dead."

"EH?!" Naruto begins to panic throwing his arms about. "What do you mean I'm gonna die?!"

"Sealing a biju inside of a human is one thing, but removing them is another..." The fox looks to the side, tilting his head with a groan. "My chakra is already tied to you. So through this extraction your death is imminent."

"Imminent?"

"It's certain, dumbass!"

"Shut up!" Naruto looks away, dropping down to a knee feeling the effects of whatever the person is doing to him taking hold. "So, this is the end?"

"You'll die. I'll just be used for something much worse..." The fox grits his fangs, shimmering with intense hatred over what will happen to him. In the end it will be used by another person for their selfish goals.

"So, you got a name?" The question takes the fox by shock, who looks down at him.

"You're going to ask me that? Now of all times?"

"Why not? I mean, all this time you've been alive you must have had a name." The fox's bloodshot eyes focus into Naruto's, attempting to scare him. However, his heart remains strong as he smiles. "Oh come on, just say it; I mean, I'm about to die so you might as well give me your name."

"Well...It's not gonna matter now so...Kurama."

Naruto takes in the name Kurama, before snickering. "Kurama huh? That's so make-fun-able."

"Shut up!" Kurama hits the cage with his claws. "I come out to you and you make fun of me?! You humans suck!"

"I'm sorry Kurama, for letting you down." He calms down a bit, hearing the sincerity in his voice. "You said I'm going to die, not you. So that guy's going to use you... After all this time, I won't become Hokage after all. You got sealed inside of me for nothing."

"If the fourth Hokage hadn't sealed me away none of this would be happening."

"Yeah, you would have been free to live your life." Naruto's reply takes Kurama back, whose wide eyes stare at the truth in his heart. "What about that tanuki guy in Gaara? Does he and the others have names?"

"Of course they do, those annoying weaklings," says the fox with anger.

"What's with you?" Kurama looks down at him with a glare. "All you do is wrath, wrath, wrath at everything; every time I would use your chakra it's because I get anger right? Is that all you can feel?"

"What does a little brat like you know about my hatred? Or of the heart for that matter?" Kurama moves his head closer into the bars. "You who have been hated by others all your childhood, and have felt resentment eating at your heart; you have no right to talk against my hatred!"

"It's because of that hatred that I can say stuff like that!" Naruto snaps, causing the fox to take a step back. "I'm a prime example of coming out of resentment smiling. By becoming Hokage, I wanted to resolve that hatred in other shinobi. I hadn't had time to think about it, but a goal of sorts came to me when I fought Neji and Gaara. All that hatred they felt, all that hatred I worked hard to resolve, I want to stop other people from feeling that too! And seeing you, and all that hatred in your chakra...It makes me realize that Gaara's might be like that too..."

Naruto walks further to the gate, smiling large enough to bare his teeth. "That's why, I want to resolve your hatred too."

Kurama blinks, narrowing his eyes with a confused ease he's never felt before. "What?!"

"Yeah. I mean, it's your fault my life ended up the way it started out, but even I don't want you to suffer with a heart full of hatred forever. It sucks." Naruto's vision turns darker.

"How stupid are you?! You really think I could be influenced by some little kid who can't even stand up for himself?"

"You may think I'm a baby, but I'm not as immature as I was back then. After all, even I think it's worth a shot." Kurama calms down once more, even as his form begins to fade away. "Of course, that doesn't matter now anyway. I'm going to die..."

Kurama stares at Naruto with a huff. "Actually, there may be a chance for survival."

"Eh?"

"Remove the seal and I'll show you." Naruto stares over at the seal, wondering why that would save him. Shrugging, he reaches out to it and pulls on the tag.

"Just remember what you said."

Outside, the man continues to draw from Naruto, before a tiny stream is left as the last trace leaving his body. The man now holds a ball of red chakra, which compresses and transforms into a glowing red sphere shaped like a heart. "Kyubi, I have you now." He looks over to Naruto, who has fallen flat on his back. He remains motionless even as the cloaked man edges closer.

The two disappear shortly after his words.

…

"So, you have returned. Do you have the Kyubi's chakra?"

"No."

"What?!"

"It would seem he escaped with it. That boy is rather crafty."

"I fail to see how he could have escaped you."

"Quiet Zetsu."

"Even more, the boy is no longer of this world. Gone to another world, he will gain control of his new power. If you require further assistance, then you will have to aid me."

"Hey, that was not part of the deal!"

"My loyalties are not of Akatsuki, but the other way around. However, there is a way for you all to benefit greatly." Several yellow eyes appear in the shadows of the room. "With this power, the only thing you have to fear is fear itself."

…

In the dark recesses of a forest, a pack of simians come before a strange sight. Their eyes take note of an orange body laying curved in dirt and leaves. One such ape lands on top of the body, poking the face, revealed finally to be Naruto. The monkeys curiously examine his body, digging into his pockets and taking everything.

Naruto's body shifts, causing the simians to back up. The animals stare at him as he sits up, before dropping back down feeling an intense weight on his chest. 'My body... It's so heavy! But, I'm alive thanks to him...'

The boy falls back down, breathing heavily. "Too tired... Can't even speak..."

He looks around trying to get a view of his surroundings. 'A forest... Wait, how did I get here? How long was I out?'

He looks over at the monkeys, who shriek at him while running away. He digs into his clothes, and cringes when he picks out bugs. "I wanna scream... But too tired." He sighs before raising his hand, trying to grab a branch to pull himself up. But it's too far away for him to reach.

Out of nowhere, a trail of light shoots out between his hand. His eyes widen in shock when he sees that the same weapon he saw in the dream in his hand. "This is..." He examines the sword, before using it to hook onto the branch. Using it he pulls himself up, standing fully on his own.

He stumbles a bit, using the sword as a cane to stand. "Yes... Now I can get out of here." He limps forward. Strangely, even though his energy was cleanly gone earlier he now feels like he can make it. "Where am I though?" He looks forward and continues.

Night falls over as he comes before a town. He hears people celebrating and cheering, obviously a festival going on. A part of him is glad that he lived to see a joyous occasion. But as he enters the town, his sword disappears. He then drops into a face plant in the dirt, causing a few people to notice him.

…

In the village hidden in the leaves, a blond woman with large breasts leans forward in her seat at a desk within a tower. Her expression turns sour as she worries over the worst happening. All she can do is worry, and pray that Naruto is okay.

"Hokage-sama!" She quickly turns around, hoping for some good news. There she sees a black haired woman past her twenties standing, eyes slowly watering. "We found him."

The Hokage stands up tall running towards the jonin. "Where?! Who?!"

"A shinobi from Suna found him in a village on the outskirts of the Land of Fire," she tells him. "He sent a messenger bird to deliver the message to us."

"Shizune, prepare a squad immediately to find and retrieve him! We're bringing Naruto back!" she declares this strongly, and Shizune agrees. As she leaves, the Hokage sits back in her chair. A waterfall pours from her eyes as she smiles. "Naruto, you're okay you lucky devil... You really will live to be Hokage."

* * *

><p>Kenshin: Merry Christmas my fellow readers!<p>

Manabu: Now, before we end this, we would like to give you all a gift. Before Drive forms can even be thought up or available, or at the very least considered, Naruto learns Command Styles. Diamond Dust is chosen, but you're all allowed to choose up to three more.


	3. Chosen Wielder of the Keyblade

_**A Serendipitous Key of Hope**_

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Naruto. Wish I did own Naruto. Not Kingdom Hearts though; I'd probably mess it up.

Takeshi: Good day folks. We welcome you to another chapter of A Serendipitous Key of Hope.

Aether: We should fix that name.

Manabu: No! It took me forever to make that name!

Everyone else: No wonder.

Manabu: SHUT UP!

Yusei: If you're all wondering, updates for this story will most likely take place on the 13th of every month, and/or the 7th.

_**Key 3: Chosen Wielder of the Keyblade**_

* * *

><p>"Okay, thank you!" Naruto walks out from a store with an apple in his hands. He bites down on it, enjoying its succulent juices before going towards the town exit. "Alright, how am I gonna get back?"<p>

After Naruto fell in the middle of town, he awakens in a hospital with a nurse overlooking him. She tells him he's in Ringozan, the town of fresh apples, and has been for a whole day. Once he takes that in he comes out of the hospital to get his strength back, training by himself in the nearby forest. Thanks to the time he's spent he manages to regain his former stamina back and is ready for anything.

Strangely, the sword from before has never appeared in his hand again. The sword from his dream which he believes is the secret to getting some answers. Ever since that dream weird things have happened to him, especially considering he was just extracted of a Biju thanks to a man who appeared in his dream. Whatever is going on; all of this has to be connected.

But before he can work any of this complicated stuff in his mind, which is already frying from thinking this much, he has to get back to Konoha where Jiraiya and Tsunade can help him make sense of everything. The old man obviously knows who that man is afterall. "I'm getting some answers, whether I understand them or not! That dream wasn't just a dream after all."

Before he could go further, he sees a set of yellow eyes looking at him. Surprised, he backs away as they come into the opening, revealed to be those same little black things from his dream. 'It's those things from the dream!'

The shadow monsters leap at him, but he punches them into the ground easily. 'Now that I can use chakra I'm not gonna go easily like in the dream!' "You guys aren't so tough after all!"

The shadows merge into the ground running around. Taller shadow monsters appear from a pop of darkness, these ones having helmets and red nails. "So, you went and got some back up huh?"

He forms a seal, causing three clones of himself to appear. The first two rush out to beat them down the monsters, but they pass by and go straight to the village. "Wait, stop!" The Narutos run after them, kicking the helmets on their skulls, only to fail to leave so much as a dent. One Naruto draws out a kunai and stabs a monster in where he thinks the heart is, only to stare blankly at it.

"Uh oh. These things don't have organs!" The monster claws wildly at Naruto, causing him to go up in smoke. The original drops to a knee feeling dark fumes burst from him. 'What was that?'

Another clone bites the dust from one of the shadow monsters, forcing Naruto to group with the other clone. His copy swirls chakra around his right palm, forming a spiraling sphere of blue energy. He dashes in striking the monster with it, his sphere grinding into its body and blowing it away into the others. "Alright! Atleast the Rasengan works."

The only remaining one watches the others explode into nothing, before turning to the town. Looking in that direction Naruto sees to his horror a portal of shadows forming. He could hear people screaming as armor forms. They merge taking the shape of a multi-colored, suit of armor towering any of the homes. Naruto rushes towards the town ignoring the shadow monster.

This is his mistake, as it flips forwards and drop kicks his clone into a tree. The impact causes it to turn to smoke. The original stops to face it, knowing it won't let him get to the big guy without a fight. "I may not have Kurama's chakra inside of me, but that won't stop me. After all, I'm the man who's gonna become the next Hokage!"

He runs towards the monster, but stops when he sees the light from before appear around his fingertips. He grips the light, which becomes the sword. "Again..."

The monster focuses in a twitch, flipping in the air to attack Naruto. He raises the sword and blocks, his weapon easily deflecting its strike. He then jumps at the monster, cutting through it. As it explodes into dark smoke, a red heart flies out from it into the sky. "Wow. This dull thing cut it like it was made of soft ramen."

He looks over at the giant armor thing, which turns to his direction. 'Does it see me?' From poofs of darkness, Naruto sees more of the helmet monsters appearing. They each surround him. "Get lost you ugly freaks!"

"Katon: Sanendan no Jutsu!" Three balls of fire rain down from the skies, blowing away the miniature monsters and leaving Naruto in a ring of fire. From above, Jiraiya lands beside Naruto. "Naruto, nice to see you're still in one piece."

"Pervy Sage!" Naruto says with an expressed tone of happiness. "How did you find me?"

"Someone from this town sent a message to Konoha," he says, noticing some of the monsters haven't bitten the dust yet. "These Heartless are still stubborn as hell."

"Heartless?" Jiraiya grabs Naruto and rushes off.

"Send the Keyblade away!" he tells him.

"Um, the what?"

"The sword, you moron!"

"Oh! Wait, how do I do that?" Naruto waves the sword to try and make it go away, before it vanishes into a spark of light. "How did I do that?"

"Explanations later." He looks around, noticing the Heartless have gone away. "Good."

"Alright, explanations now!" Naruto breaks free of his grip. "What's going on?! Who was that guy who kidnapped me? What were those monsters? And why the hell did everything in my dream happen when you said it was nothing?!"

Jiraiya stares down at him, sighing. He looks over noticing a group of people on their way over. "I'll tell you when we get back. There's stuff going on that no one else can know about."

"Eh?" The other people show up, revealed to be Anbu from Konoha. "What the?"

"Let's go."

…

The man in the black coat appears within a room colored pitch white. A series of chairs numbered I to XIII sit in a circle around him, each one varying in height. In the circle a strange symbol is laid, the top of it pointing to the highest seat which reads Number I. To the left are odd numbered chairs and the right even numbered, each one rising in value until reaching the lowest seats of XII and XIII directly in front of I.

Raising his hands skyward, he summons portals of darkness within the chairs, from which five figures with the red cloud spotted cloaks appear. Each person varies in appearance. "Good tidings friends. It would appear the plan is moving better than even I could have hoped."

"And just what plan is this?" asks a blond androgynous member who glares at the faceless individual. "What the hell do you want us for?"

"I'm a little interested in this too." Another person, this one the tallest with wide green eyes and tan skin, crosses his arms. "You say you're going to give us the Kyubi should we work for you, and while Pain may be going along with it you really think I'm going to listen to some freak?"

"You seem to be misunderstanding my intentions," speaks the man in the black coat. "The Biju are still an important part of the plan. And while the shinobi are distracted by them, they won't notice what we are up to."

"And once again, just what is that?"

He lowers his head, eyes focused on the blond. "Deidara, Kakuzu, Hidan, Kisame, Sasori; in addition to seeking out the Jinchuuriki you will be seeking out new members for the Thirteenth Order. All we're missing is four, and you will seek them out in the worlds in between. To do so..." From a portal of darkness, another man with a black coat appears. He sits in chair number III, flicking his wrist.

Around the members of Akatsuki, darkness forms around their bodies. "You will need these special abilities to travel them."

The new person in black chuckles. "I hope for your sakes you succeed. We don't need useless vessels who will only be controlled by the Heartless."

"Oh, just you watch!" Kakuzu states, being the tall one from before.

"This outta be fun." Kisame, the shark looking guy, vanishes into a dark portal, as do the others following him.

Upwards in the seats, the one in chair number III turns to number I. He laughs, saying, "This will be easier than I thought."

"Easy or not isn't what we demand, but progress is moving as predicted." The man in number I's chair looks upward. "In preparations for him this is a necessity. Either their remains become a recluse, or they become fodder for the Keyblade's chosen one."

"That reminds me..." The other looks over to him. "Why are you in his seat?"

"Because this was the task I was given, including his title." He turns to face number III. "What about you? You were left with a specific task too."

He rises from his seat. "That's true." He fades into a dark portal.

…

Tsunade looks out to the village, her eyes still filled with worry over what has befallen Naruto. It's gotten so intense she's resolved to drinking since the incident. Even now, she prepares to down a cup of sake, before hearing someone enter her office. Turning around in a somewhat sloppy manner, the half influenced woman sees Shizune standing.

"Hokage-sama, they're back! He's back!" Tsunade rises from her seat approaching her.

"Is that true?!"

"Yes! I also have to prepare a silence technique," she says, moving to the side holding a Tiger seal.

Naruto steps in quickly, but slips and crashes into Tsunade's chest. He bounces back, the back of his head slamming into the floor. "Gah! I shouldn't have done that!"

"Naruto!" Tsunade reaches down and grabs him, hugging the little boy with all her affection. Also, the liquor is influencing her better judgment. "I'm so glad you're safe kid!"

"Baa-chan, let go! Can't breathe!" His muffled screams are ignored until Jiraiya steps in.

"Whoa! Hey, since you're giving out hugs-" Tsunade glares at him, releasing Naruto to stumble backwards a bit. "You okay?"

"Please. There isn't a single drink that can knock me out," she says, before sitting back down. She touches her temples, before asking, "What happened?"

Naruto stands back up, regaining his composure. Shizune looks on, holding the technique. "I got kidnapped by some strong guy in a black hooded coat. He stole Kurama!"

"Kurama?" Jiraiya raises an eyebrow.

"The fox." This shocks both of them, including Shizune. "He pulled him right out of my body!"

"But, how?" Tsunade goes to him, examining him. She pulls up his shirt, seeing the seal is gone. "It really is gone..."

"So that was his plan..." Jiraiya mutters, though it's loud enough for all of them to hear. "If he stole the Kyubi from you then he must also be working with Akatsuki."

"Who is?" she asks him. The old lady then turns to Naruto. "And how are you still alive? The Kyubi was extracted, so you can't just be alive."

"I'm not exactly sure about that..." Naruto thinks back to when the extraction was taking place.

"The Uzumaki are said to have strong life forces," Jiraiya says looking down at Naruto.

Naruto continues with, "Kurama and I settled our differences before he got taken out, and he told me something; he told me to tear off the seal, and then..."

Flashpoint...

"_Actually, there may be a chance for survival."_

"_Eh?"_

"_Remove the seal and I'll show you." Naruto stares over at the seal, wondering why that would save him. Shrugging, he reaches out to it and pulls on the tag. As he does, a hand reaches out and grabs him. "Huh?"_

"_Yo." On the other end of the hand, a man with blond hair stands dressed in a white and fire patterned haori. "I never thought I'd see you so soon Naruto."_

"_Huh? You're the Yondaime Hokage!" Naruto says in shock. He then looks at him, asking, "How did you know my name?" _

"_Why wouldn't I know it? I gave it to you after all," he replies. Naruto slowly accepts and processes what he said, and the meaning behind it. As he comes to a conclusion, one coupled with the Hokage looking just like him more than he realizes, he realizes exactly what it means. "That's right; I'm your father, Minato Namikaze."_

_A teary eyed Naruto looks up to his father in shock, happy that he could finally see him after all this time. "You didn't know? I figured Sarutobi-dono would have atleast told you. Though I guess it's better that no one else knew since there'd be allot of people after your life if they knew you were my son... Anyway, I have a good feeling of what you're trying to do."_

"_But how? How are you here?"_

"_I left a chakra imprint of me in the seal that would appear the first time you would pull this tag. But anyway, I have to make this quick; the Kyubi heart's being extracted," Minato tells him before removing his hand. "Pull the tag." _

"_Uh okay!" Naruto pulls on the seal, revealing a spiral lock holding the gate together. Minato then lifts his right hand, chakra gathering to his fingers as he reveals and touches his son's stomach. Twisting clockwise, the seal on the gate opens up, and the doors open up. _

_A wave of chakra pours out from it, which hits Naruto strongly. The wave converts to light upon contact, causing him to shine brightly. The landscape peels away in a spectrum of light, leaving nothing but darkness. The circular platform appears below Naruto. _

_Minato smiles as he begins to fade away. "I'll return to meet you in a dream, as will your mother."_

_Kurama grins as he says, "Just remember what you said," before fading away as well. _

Back to Action...

"And that's what happened," Naruto finishes, causing the two Sannin to look in shock.

"That Minato... He was always so crazy prepared," Jiraiya says with pride in his former disciple.

"Minato..." Tsunade smiles. "I knew that man wouldn't die so easily."

"So, that answers that..." Naruto turns to Jiraiya. "Alright Pervy Sage! Time to fess up."

Tsunade turns to Jiraiya, who sighs before going to the window. Twilight sets in outside. "Where to begin..."

"You can begin by telling me what the hell were those black things that tried to kill me? Who was that guy who stole Kurama? And what was that thing that I had?"

Jiraiya turns his head to face them. "To start off, I don't know who that man was... But I do know that he came to Konoha before, 12 years ago on October 10th."

Naruto immediately knows the importance of that date, as not only is it the day Kurama attacked the village but also the day he was born. He then realizes something. "Wait, do you mean..."

"That's right; he was the one behind the attack. He extracted it from your mother and controlled it to attack the village, resulting in it being sealed inside of you and your parents' death."

"Wait, what? My mother?"

"Your mother was the Kyubi's last host," Tsunade says to him.

'So that's what happened; when I saw my father I knew he died to seal the fox inside of me, and I always wondered who my mother was and why she was never there for me... But now it all makes sense... They never abandoned me!' Naruto feels a calmness sweep his heart coming to this conclusion.

"When I heard of him from Sarutobi-sensei I looked into the guy. But, that same night 12 years ago... It was as if all traces of him had vanished. He was gone." Jiraiya's answer only brings up more questions. "If he extracted the fox, he has to be working for Akatsuki. Or worse, he's behind the Heartless now appearing."

"There it is again, Heartless," Naruto shouts, pointing at the old man. "Is that what those things are called?"

"The Heartless are monsters made from darkness that prey on hearts." Jiraiya stares into the darkness falling over Konoha as the sun sets. "They come in many sizes and shapes, and the more horrible the shape the more powerful they are. The Heartless are also after people like you Naruto, because you have the Keyblade."

"The Keyblade?" Naruto repeats, remembering the name from the sword out of his dreams. Tsunade remembers hearing that name before.

"The Keyblade is a powerful weapon that can destroy the Heartless and stop their pursuits of hearts. But it also releases a beacon that the Heartless track; as long as you hold it they'll keep coming after you, no matter what until they steal your heart."

"Yeesh..." Naruto stares at his hand. "If they wanted an autograph they could have just asked."

"So this Keyblade; how can it be used to stop them?" Tsunade asks, now concerned.

"Luckily, Minato planned for the Kyubi to be extracted so Naruto is safe and free to train without being pursued. But he can't do it here." Jiraiya walks back to the blond. "Naruto has to train under a Keyblade Master to actually stand up to this man."

"And where do you suggest he goes?" asks the Hokage. Considering the Kyubi is gone Naruto won't be hounded by Akatsuki. So why he has to leave is beyond her.

"You leave that to me." Jiraiya grabs hold of Naruto before opening the window. "You can turn off the silence Shizune-chan!"

"Yes!" Shizune releases the jutsu, and both Jiraiya and Naruto go out the window. The two women go to the window and watch at they land on a giant toad. The amphibian hops away, leaving Konoha in a single leap. The Hokage's assistant looks over to Tsunade, asking, "Do you think Naruto-kun will be okay?"

"He will..." she replies, placing her absolute faith in the boy once more. "With all the surprises he's made so far, there's no way he'll fail." 'As long as he doesn't end up like them...'

Elsewhere, the toad lands with a loud dogon in a forest just southwest of Konoha. There, not far away, an aged building stands. A spiral symbol similar to the one all over Naruto's clothes is placed at the top of the building.

The toad disperses leaving them to land. Well, Jiraiya lands on his feet while Naruto slips and face plants. The old sage then grabs Naruto, lifting him up on his feet. "We're here." Jiraiya enters the building, Naruto following after, before he points to a wall at the very far end. "Naruto, your Keyblade will open the path."

"What path? We're in an old building," Naruto replies, before shrugging. He holds his hand out and concentrates, the Keyblade appearing in his hands. The tip of the blade glows in a spiraling light, before a beam shoots out and pierces the back of the building. The sound of a lock opening resounds throughout the facility, and light pours out warping space. Naruto looks around in shock as the light takes him to a brand new location, into a bright office.

"Well, well, you actually brought him here like you said." Naruto looks behind him, and to his shock he sees an old man in a blue robe sitting in a tall chair. Behind him are two windows shaped like a crescent moon and a star. "Your help is appreciated Jiraiya."

"No problem old man," replies the perverted sage. "But be careful around him. He will definitely pull off a surprise."

"Wait, what? What's going on? Who are you?" Naruto points at the old man.

The man murmurs under his breath before giving a slight stroke of the beard. "I am a man who was once master of the weapon you will now come to know intimately. I will make sure you have all that you need to one day soon face the forces of darkness."

"The forces of darkness?"

"You have many questions, but don't worry. I will be sure to answer them within time." He sits up in his chair, having slid down a bit.

"Okay... Do I introduce myself?"

"That is okay, but I shall myself. I am Yen Sid."

* * *

><p>Manabu: We hope you enjoyed this.<p>

Yusei: This ends this chapter, and leads us finally to Naruto gaining training under a Keyblade Master unlike Sora and Riku who were self taught.

Madas: Wait, why isn't Naruto self taught this time?

Alpha: There's always a difference between a trained warrior and someone who picks up fighting. If 1 measure of talent is accountable to 100 measures of hardwork, then 1000 measures of hardwork will surpass talent.

Madas&Manabu: Huh?!

Yusei: It means there's a reason martial arts and swordsmanship have been able to be passed on to later generations; hardwork will always beat talent. It's the old Kenichi philosophy.

Aether: Besides, Naruto has always been one to work hard. Anyway, next time Naruto will return from training ready to sack Akatsuki.


	4. Destiny's Force

_**A Serendipitous Key of Hope**_

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Kingdom Hearts.

Naruto: Hey, a new chapter!

Yusei: Let's see... It's just about you and your day back from training. Oh and Gaara.

Manabu: Gaara?

_**Key 4: Destiny's Force**_

* * *

><p>Dusk falls upon an empty city. Rain falls from the darkness skies, each splash hitting the ground with such force deafening all. The lone sound not formed from the drops of heaven are the splashes of boots in the rising level. These boots pass by puddles of dark sludge, which rise from the cemented earth in the shape of yellow eyed beings.<p>

They gather in numbers, surrounding the lone figure standing underneath a brown and red skyscraper. This person stands at a good 5'5 feet with spiky hair extended behind him and bangs arcing down to his cheeks. He has a round face with whiskers on his cheek, three each. He wears an outfit consisting of orange ankle high pants slightly baggy around the legs, a black compartment containing mini weapons strapped tightly around his right leg with a zipper opening, and another on the left; the upper portion of his outfit consists of a long sleeve black shirt tucked under an orange and blue vest, the zipper to both being a red spiral for the former and a blue for the latter, closed up tight covering his neck. He wears blue and white stripe fingerless gloves that have a yellow sun sued on the back and black boots with orange stripes and blue straps and zippers. Around his neck he has a green crystal hanging off a brown thread. He also has a black hitai-e around his forehead with a bandanna reaching past his shoulders.

He turns around to face the horde of Heartless around him, his bright blue eyes delivering stern seriousness. He draws from his pouches two kunai the size of kudachi, and flips over the shadows. He swings midair, slicing through and turning them into dusk with magical energy surrounding the edges. He throws the kunai at two coming at him from behind, before ducking under one flanking his three o'clock. He then raises his right hand, summoning the Keyblade.

The man swings, slashing one Heartless in front of him. He then swings to follow up on the second to his right before making a jump spin, ending the combo with the slaying of one more Heartless. The shadows begin to gather around him, closing in to rob him of space. He raises the Keyblade back and throws it, which spins like a boomerang cutting through the masses.

The sword circles around him before falling into his right hand, and he examines they are all gone. He then looks over and sees one large Heartless similar to them rising up. It lunges at him, and he swings hard enough to knock it over rolling. Noticing its stunned form, he rushes in back handling his Keyblade before sliding past the Heartless cutting through in one fell swoop. It writhes in pain before flipping over, slowly dissolving into a black mush.

The male warrior returns the Keyblade, before looking around him. The murky atmosphere and landscape disappears, turning into a bright, white room with space as the ceiling. He looks upward with a stern expression, before hearing a noise approaching the room. The door to the far end opens up, and Yen Sid steps in.

"Destroying the Heartless without the use of magic, and keeping the darkness in your heart completely in check..." speaks the aged sage as he raises a hand to clap. "You surely have grown these past two and a half years, Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto smiles at the compliment, before walking over to him. "Thank you, Yensei."

"You're never gonna drop that nickname are you?" Yen Sid shakes his head before walking up to him. "You have mastered all I can teach you; what's left for you now is to expand your skills back home."

"Yeah... I'm ready to deal with Akatsuki and save the other Jinchuuriki. Does this mean I get to take the Mastery test?"

"No."

"Do I get that special armor you told me about?"

"You aren't ready for that yet. But remember..." Yen Sid points to his clothes. "These clothes retain a special power. With it you can transform into stronger versions of yourself for battle. But for the moment you can only use one."

"Understood. If you need me back just give me a message!" With a smile Naruto zips up his vest and walks out the door. As he does, the old man smiles upon his exit. He then runs up the staircase and comes to the main room.

Summoning the Keyblade he has it glow before altering the world around him back to the village. He looks around to see he's back to where he was, and smiles before going out the door. "Alright, let's go."

He rushes through the grass towards the village, watching as the world around him slows down to his perspective. Ever since his training at that tower his speed, stamina and endurance have drastically improved, to the point that he wonders just what he's been doing with the training here. 'No time for regrets.'

_Flashback..._

_"Before we can even think to begin your training, there are a few things that need to be said from you." Yen Sid waves his hand, revealing a very familiar circle on his desk._

_Naruto instantly recognizes it as where he was in the dream. "What is this?"_

_"This is a place where all of us chosen by the Keyblade come to when the power awakens within our hearts, the Dive to the Heart," he tells him. "You recently experienced this. Hold your hand over the circle, and your heart's strength shall be revealed."_

_Naruto raises his hand over it, and the rod from his dream is revealed. "Ah, the power of the mystic; your training will be set. You will first dabble in the ways of magic before accessing the techniques of the Keyblade."_

_"Magic? Is that like chakra?"_

_"In a way, yes." Yen Sid waves his hand, and the dive disappears. "Most Keyblade wielders do not take in the power of the mystic, but this also gives you the most potential. But I am afraid that your training in the ways of magic will not begin unless your power to use magic is brought out."_

_"Alright, so how do I do that Yensei?" Yen Sid narrows his eyes at that name. "What?"_

_"In order for you to use magic, it requires magical energy to flow through your veins. As you have unlocked the Keyblade, your ability to use magic is already growing. Unfortunately, this will also eliminate your ability to create chakra."_

_"Eh?!" Naruto gets taken back by that. "You mean I'm not going to be able to use Kage Bunshin, or Kuchiyose, or the Rasengan?!"_

_"I'm afraid so. Infact, I'm sure you've already started to feel the effects." He shows an image of Naruto fighting the Heartless, and trying to use Kage Bunshin only for three to appear. "You were aiming for more clones, but you only ended up getting three. That's proof that the process is already beginning."_

_"But it's my dream to become Hokage! I can't do that without ninjutsu!" Naruto shouts, slamming his fists on the table. The old man looks up at him with some form of pity. "And now you're saying I have to give it up?! That's bull!"_

_"I never said you had to give up your dream." Yen Sid's words cause him to look up, his physical attitude much calmer. "From what I know of your culture from Jiraiya, the Hokage is a title given to one who stands as the strongest in the village. But it's more than that; the one who receives the title is the one whose ideology and renown match those of the previous. It is a Will of Fire that requires such qualification, a quality of the heart you more than have earned for gaining the Keyblade."_

_Hearing what he said, Naruto begins to think that he could still be able to become Hokage. He then remembers Lee, a friend of his who doesn't have the power to use ninjutsu so he focused on taijutsu. He could easily do the same thing using magic, making him prime to being stronger than anyone._

_"Do you want to surpass your current self?"_

_Naruto looks at his hands, before smiling. "You got that right-ttebayo!"_

_End Flashback…_

Naruto strolls through the streets of Konoha, looking around realizing no one recognizes him. 'Well, better than being ignored on purpose.' He comes to a post and runs up it, reaching the top of the village so fast an upwind follows. He stands on top of the post, looking out through his home while the wind blows past him.

"This is a great view. I miss this so much..." He looks over to the Hokage Monument, where he spots an additional face with the others. The blond laughs heartily as he recognizes the face. "Can't believe they put Baa-chan's face up there. They should put up her real face, without all that chakra make up."

He flips off the post and lands light as a feather. He then walks through town, blending in and greeting everyone who doesn't recognize him. He comes to Ichiraku Ramen and sits down. "Yo, Ayame!"

"Good aftern-" She pauses when she sees Naruto. "Naruto-kun?!"

"Who were you expecting, the pervy sage?" He jokes.

"Oh my god; dad, he's back!" Ayame goes back inside to get her father, who comes out in shock seeing his favorite customer return.

"Wow! You got tall!" he says to him. "You want the usual?"

"Three of the usual this time!" he replies, and the old man gets cooking. He then turns in his seat, blinking in shock when he sees two people walking by that he recognizes. "Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru and Temari look over to see who called him, and they stare in shock at Naruto's appearance. "Naruto? Is that you?"

"Yup. I just got back today." Naruto leans back on the counter, glancing up at the blue sky. "I'm heading over to see Baa-chan once I eat; gotta get that good stuff!"

Shikamaru facepalms hearing his response. To him, Naruto has not changed even a single bit. "I'm guessing you never got smarter."

"Are you sure you're that runt?" Temari asks him.

"Not a runt anymore." He states.

"You seem...different... Did something happen to you?"

"Actually, now that you mention it..." Shikamaru states intently at Naruto now.

"Your three usuals are ready!" Ayame comes out with three bowls of ramen with chasu pork, miso, and soy sauce.

Naruto goes to town on his meal. Shikamaru shrugs, before saying, "Well, we're gonna leave."

"Oh... Hey wait a minute; why are you guys together?" He looks over at the two after finishing his first meal. "What is this a date?"

"A what?"

"You've gotta be joking; not with this deer sloth!" Temari responds, easily with a smile. "There's a Chunin Exam starting up soon and I'm going back and forth for meetings."

"Plus, even though it's a total drag, I'm an examiner so I have to escort the messenger." Shikamaru's response sounds lazy, so much so Naruto doesn't even buy it as he finishes bowl number two. "So, what are you going to do?"

"About what?"

"You're the only one from our graduating class who hasn't become a Chunin." Before he could finish his third bowl, he ends up spitting out a bit of its contents.

"WHAT?"

"Yeah. Chouji, Ino, Sakura, Lee, Tenten, Shino, Kiba and Hinata are all Chunin. Neji, Kankurou and Temari here are Jonin." As he explains, the Suna blond raises two fingers in a peace symbol.

"Eh? Everyone got to that rank, in the two and a half years I've been away?!" A thought then comes to him. "What about Gaara?"

"You mean Kazekage-sama?" Temari says, obviously referring to her brother.

Hearing her statement, Naruto flinches. He looks to the side with a smile slowly rising on his face. "That's awesome. Gaara became Kazekage..." He finishes the rest before handing payment to Ayame. "Alright; I'll catch up to him soon!"

"You better." Shikamaru watches as he runs off, slowly grinning himself believing in him.

Ayame stares strangely at the currency he paid with. 'What is this? It's a yellow ball thing.'

Naruto makes it to the tower in a short time frame. Along the way in he rushes past a familiar girl. "Oh, excuse me."

"Eh? Naruto?!" He stops when he recognizes the voice, seeing his crush Sakura Haruno standing beside him. "You came back sooner than I thought."

"Sakura-chan..." He looks her up and down. "You really grew! Age has nothing on you."

She blushes at the compliment. Naruto then looks back inside. "Anyway, I gotta meet and let Baachan know I'm back."

"Too late brat," Tsunade says as she comes out of the building. She looks him over and smiles. "Did Jiraiya approve of this weird outfit? What's with all the zippers?"

"Hey, atleast it's orange."

"That's exactly what a ninja shouldn't wear, tacky and bright clothes like that; you pretty much say 'look at me, I'm a fucking target'!"

"What do you know? You've been wearing the same thing since you came to Konoha!" Naruto snaps with a laugh, before gesturing to Sakura. "Atleast Sakura-chan changes her clothes."

"What's wrong with my clothes?" she asks him, giving a threatening glare in her eyes.

'Oh god; he hasn't matured at all has he?' Sakura hangs her head. "I was hoping that old man who make you more mature."

"Eh? You know Yensei?" Naruto asks her, before realizing that's not who she meant. "Oh wait..."

"Yensei? Weren't you with Jiraiya?" Tsunade questions, before realizing he's not around at all. 'Now that I think about it, he hasn't sent any messengers to update me either. Is that... Yen Sid?'

"No. I was in this whole other world. It's called-"

"So that's where you were this whole time, with Yen Sid. That may explain why we didn't know of your return until just now." He looks to the old lady. For her to mention Yensei's name like that can only mean she must know about him in some way. Did she train with him? Or does she know of him from the pervy sage? "Then I guess there's no point in trying to understand your abilities in chakra anymore."

"Eh?" Sakura looks between them trying to understand what they're talking about.

"But if I'm to determine how strong you are I need to see it for myself." Tsunade closes her eyes and faces away. "Kakashi."

"Right." Kakashi comes up to the three.

"Ah, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto says seeing his Jonin instructor.

"Naruto..." The silver haired shinobi looks upon Naruto. His attire aside, he notices something different has transpired over him. "I'm a little curious to your growth. You as well Sakura, so how about we decide this."

…

Sand blows into the wind. A sandal stomps hard into moist, red sand. A short man wearing a bandanna over his mouth walks forward, past the fallen bodies of the unfortunate who faced him in battle. As he leaves, light rises from their corpses and overflow in darkness. Heartless appear from the lights.

"Oh, you already got some!" A giant, white bird lands next to him, and on it Deidara hops off. "I'm going in Sasori-dono."

"Don't get cocky; our goal is to make more Heartless and capture the Jinchuuriki." Sasori watches as Deidara flies off. The Heartless around him disappear, the wind creating a screen of sand Sasori disappears in.

Heartless appear within the city of Sunagakure, three in three different spots surrounding watchmen. They pierce their hearts, transforming them and causing their bodies to evaporate. Up above, Deidara flies on his bird until reaching a spot. As the watchmen have been taken out by the Heartless, he no longer needs worry about being caught.

'Infiltration complete...' Deidara looks up at someone in front of him, the red haired Kazekage Gaara. "Or not."

His bird takes him to the skies, avoiding the streams of sand coming after him. "How did you know?"

"There are no birds like that in Suna." Gaara states as he flies up high using sand.

"I guess infiltration was a failure, but this works." He focuses in on Gaara with the left eye. "Now I won't have to look for you."

With a snap of his fingers, Heartless in the shape of cannons appear underneath them in the city. They each take aim and fire upward at Gaara. He gathers sand around him in the shape of a sphere, protecting him. As Deidara flies higher, sand from the barrier flies out to grab his arm. "Sabaku Kyu."

It crushes his arm, forcing him to fly away and break it off. 'Damn! Looks like I underestimated him. That sand he used was much stronger than from the desert.' He then remembers the intelligence they gathered about the Jinchuuriki during their break, about how Gaara carries a special amount of sand in his gourd that is refitted with chakra making it stronger than usual.

Gaara watches his movements using the eye of sand. Judging from the clouds, he can tell Deidara is with Akatsuki. With that, he knows for sure that he's after him. What he can't figure out is the monsters below that attacked him, which he does not recognize at all.

Deidara digs into his bag, his hands devouring more clay. "Guess I'll use that to my advantage."

A Heartless appears from above, clouding the village in darkness with its dragonic appearance. This light blue monster flies down releasing a stream of snow towards Gaara. He raises sand to block it, but the guard fails as the sand hardens and crashes into the village.

Deidara leaps off of his bird onto the Heartless, adding more of his eaten clay into the bird. He then sends it down towards the village, despite Gaara using his sand to block. The bird blows up, a massive explosion releasing that shakes the foundation. The blue-white wyvern flies over at Gaara, its claws piercing through and ensnaring him. It flies down to a building, smashing him through it.

The Heartless flies up from the destruction still clenching Gaara, who has fallen unconscious. "Nice. These Heartless are better than I thought."

…

Naruto stands before his teacher panting, holding up a bell. Beside him Sakura has one as well. "Looks like we win Kakashi-sensei."

"I'm impressed; you've actually grown..." Kakashi says as he stands back up, closing his Sharingan eye. "Even you Naruto, with that ability you used... That wasn't ninjutsu was it?"

"No, magic." He looks back to see part of the forest has frozen with an icy mist blowing by. "I'll explain everything eventually."

"Really? Well, I'll hold you onto that."

* * *

><p>Julia: Thank you for your time. We hope you review and give your thoughts.<p>

Aether: Next chapter we take a look at Naruto as they head to the rescue.

Kenshin: And while you're gone we'll check out that new Gaara vs Toph video. I bet he won.


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